Bangladesh launched their ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 campaign with a calm, clinical seven-wicket win over Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Thursday, chasing 130 with 113 balls to spare.
Debutant opener Rubya Haider anchored the pursuit with an unbeaten 54 off 77, while Bangladesh’s quicks—led by Marufa Akter, who was named Player of the Match—torpedoed Pakistan to 129 all out in 38.3 overs after the visitors chose to bat.
The result at a glance
- Pakistan 129 all out (38.3 overs)
- Bangladesh 131/3 (31.1 overs) — Bangladesh won by 7 wickets
Key performers: Rubya Haider 54; Nigar Sultana 23; Marufa Akter 2/31, Shorna Akter 3/5, Nahida Akter 2/19.
How Bangladesh set it up: new-ball shock, relentless squeeze
Opting to bat, Pakistan never found a rhythm. Marufa Akter’s opening burst produced immediate dividends—two wickets in the first over—and Bangladesh never really loosened the vise thereafter.
Shorna Akter’s spell in the middle overs was ruthless and economical, returning 3 for 5, while left-arm spinner Nahida Akter chipped in smartly to keep rebuilding attempts in check.
Pakistan’s top score was Rameen Shamim’s 23; captain Fatima Sana added 22, but partnerships kept stalling in the face of consistent lengths and sharp fielding. Pakistan’s innings folded for 129, a total that always looked light on a surface offering just enough new-ball nibble and respectable carry.
The live feeds through the chase showed how small moments stacked in Bangladesh’s favor: early wickets kept Pakistan hopeful, but dot-ball pressure never turned into clumps of dismissals once Bangladesh stabilized.
The chase: early nerves, then Rubya Haider’s debut poise
Bangladesh wobbled at 23 for 2 inside the first ten, but captain Nigar Sultana Joty (23) partnered the debutant Rubya Haider to steady the ship.
Once set, Rubya’s tempo control was textbook one-day batting—busy without risk, decisive on anything short—and Bangladesh eased past the finish line at 131/3 in 31.1 overs, Sobhana Mostary (24) striking the winning boundary.
The innings underlined a noteworthy maturity: after the early stutter, there was no slog, only method.
Post-match, Nigar Sultana praised the new-ball plan and lauded Rubya’s debut composure, while Marufa—who combined swing with discipline—picked up the Player-of-the-Match award.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana pointed to early wickets lost as the turning point and stressed the need for sharper execution in the upcoming fixtures.
Tactical notes
Bangladesh’s Powerplay blueprint:
- Length discipline with the seamers (especially Marufa) to right-handers, attacking the stumps and seam rather than chasing extravagant swing.
- Clever spin sequencing thereafter (Nahida then Shorna) that denied Pakistan any easy rotation down the ground.
Pakistan’s batting problem:
- Repeated resets: once the top was prised open, middle-order rebuilds stalled. Pakistan’s highest stand never truly seized momentum, and Bangladesh’s field placements—short midwicket and straightish mid-on—cut off Pakistan’s most reliable release shots.
Bangladesh’s chase management:
- After the early dip, Rubya Haider’s strike-rotation paired with Nigar Sultana’s busy intent dragged the required rate below a run a ball by the 20th over. From there, risk-free accumulation did the job. Live tickers showed Bangladesh needing barely 18–20 by the late 20s, a mark they strolled past.
Numbers that tell the story
- 7-wicket margin with 113 balls unused: emphatic net-run-rate booster in a short group phase.
- Shorna Akter 3/5: two wicket-maidens in one spell—tournament-shaping control in the middle overs.
- Rubya Haider 54 on debut: settled a chase that started nervously and finished serenely.
A quirky footnote
The contest even delivered a rarity: Pakistan’s Nashra Sandhu was dismissed hit-wicket, only the second such instance in Women’s World Cup history—the previous one dating back 52 years. It won’t comfort Pakistan, but it does underline how oddities can skew tight phases in ODIs.
What this means for the group
Bangladesh bank an early win and, crucially, a clean net-run-rate. Pakistan face a quick reset before their high-pressure meeting with India later this week, while Bangladesh will eye the next fixture with confidence after ticking both bowling and batting boxes in Colombo. The official and major outlets logged the result as Bangladesh 131/3 (31.1) beat Pakistan 129 (38.3) by 7 wickets—a tidy, tone-setting start.
Scoreboard
Pakistan 129 all out (38.3)
Rameen Shamim 23, Fatima Sana 22; Shorna Akter 3/5, Marufa Akter 2/31, Nahida Akter 2/19.
Bangladesh 131/3 (31.1)
Rubya Haider 54, Nigar Sultana 23, Sobhana Mostary 24; Pakistan bowlers shared three early strikes but lacked runs to defend.
Fixtures & context
The tournament is just warming up in Colombo and Guwahati. Pakistan’s next test is a marquee clash against India on Oct. 5, while the event continues Friday with England vs South Africa before Australia vs Sri Lanka on Saturday. A single victory can swing momentum sharply in a short group phase, and Bangladesh grabbed theirs early.
